Reflections of a Hollow Heart
by Talietzin
Summary: Impelled by his charm and sincerity, an immortal falls in love... but when her very existence comes into question, and his dark side surfaces, are they willing to do what it takes to stay together? Narukami X Marie. Dialogue-heavy. (NOTE: Chapter 1 revamped with improved introduction.)
1. Don't Let Go

**Reflections of a Hollow Heart**

**a Persona 4 fanfic**

Disclaimer: Do note that there are _SPOILERS for the True Ending_ of Persona 4 Golden.

[Author's Note 1: I will use "Narukami" rather than "Yu", because it is easier to identify. Also, his personality will be based partly on the anime version.]

[Author's Note 2: The story begins from after the True Ending to Persona 4 Golden, when Narukami visits Inaba.]

**Chapter 1**

__Narukami Yu set his things down inside the room on the second floor of the Dojima Residence. He had spent several months away from Inaba, and today, he was back for the summer holidays. The last time he had come here was during Golden Week, to catch up with his friends from the Inaba region. He was glad to have met everyone again that time.

Or rather, almost everyone.

There was one person he dearly missed... perhaps more so than any of the Investigation Team. It might be cruel to say so, but he had learnt to seek and to speak the truth.

That person was Marie. In the preceding year, they had spent a fair amount of time together, trying to discover who she was. When her true identity was revealed, he and his friends fought hard to find her and bring her back with them. His heart had grown close to everyone in that year they spent together, but there was a special place in his heart for Marie. There was just something about her that anchored his attention.

The last time he had seen her was inside the Velvet Room, after the defeat of Izanami-no-Okami. At that time, her form was translucent. He could not remember precisely what she had told him, but he gathered that all the splintered parts of her had come back together. She disappeared from the Velvet Room, and the entrance to it had also disappeared after that. There was no way of knowing what had become of her. Because of this, he had come to accept, over the past few months, that he might never see her again.

And so it was a great surprise to him that she appeared on television earlier today. He was without words, and felt a twinge in his chest as he watched the news program. In the time he had spent away, he had no way of knowing where she was, or how she was doing... Or if she was even still on this earthly plane after that last battle.

Now that he knew for certain that she was here in the Inaba region, the dying torch he carried for her was lit anew. He wanted to see her again and speak to her... but he had no way of doing that, right now. He had not the faintest idea where she was, and he had not been able to catch the name of the news station in his dumbfounded state. How did she even know he was visiting? He deduced that his friends must have told her when she came into town.

He laid out the futon in the corner and unrolled himself onto it. There was much he did still not know about the situation, but he was certain of one thing. He wanted to see her. There was so much to say. Thoughts of what he could and would do filled his mind as he fell asleep, exhausted from the long train ride from Tokyo. The rain in the background, and the peace of the dark and quiet night calmed his heart.

_One who is not of man, cannot persist in the world of man._

_It is the natural order._

_All shall return to their rightful place._

_RETURN..._

Narukami sprang from his futon, clutching his blanket tightly with both hands. _Strange dream..._ he thought to himself. _I saw nothing, but I heard voices... Voices powerful enough to unsettle me in the middle of sleep..._ He shook the thought off, as he walked out of his room and went to freshen himself up. He had a quiet breakfast with the Dojima family.

"I'm on leave today, so I'll be taking Nanako over to Junes. Don't forget to lock up if you go out, okay?" reminded Dojima. Narukami nodded. His uncle and cousin left through the side door that led to the driveway.

Narukami washed the dishes and put them on a rack to dry. It looked like the rain was letting up for now. He quickly left the house, peeled the tarp off Dojima's old scooter and rode into town.

He spent the day catching up with the rest of the Investigation Team at Shichiri Beach.

As they rode back to town from the beach, they decided to stop by the MOEL station for gas before parting ways. After filling up Dojima's scooter, Narukami went to wait on the pavement by the road, so as to not be an obstruction.

"I'm a little hungry," he said to Kanji. "I'm going to Souzai Daigaku to get some food. I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

"You got it, Senpai. I'll wave if I see you there on my way home."

For some reason, he just felt a little like going off on his own this afternoon... although his wish would not be granted. Just as he had bought something and taken a seat to enjoy it over quiet contemplation, Rise walked up to Souzai Daigaku and stood at an angle to his table.

"Senpai~! Why'd you go off on your own?" she complained with a pout on her pretty face.

"Ah, I was just a little hungry, that's all. I really wanted to eat something," he said in response.

"I see. Well, I wanna catch up with you alone," she said, seating herself next to him. "So, how's life back in the city?"

"Oh, it's..."

They spent the better part of two hours discussing his school, city life, and her return to showbiz. Kanji waved, as promised, while passing by Souzai Daigaku.

"I need to go home for dinner," she said, checking her watch. "Wanna walk me home?" She flashed an inviting smile, and being the gentleman that he was, Narukami did not refuse. Walking casually with her, he made a mental note to go back to Souzai Daigaku for the scooter. "It's been a while since we walked home this way, huh, Senpai?"

"Yeah. I miss staying in Inaba."

"Why not move out here?" she teased. "But then again, you wouldn't see me much. I'm pretty busy between school and showbiz... I only managed to get one week off to come back here. That's the most my contract allows me, now..." She looked down for a little while, but cheered up quickly after. "That's because I've got a lot to do, and people like the new Risecchi, though! And it's all thanks to you."

"To me...?"

"Oh, Senpai, don't tell me you forgot!" Rise said in mock horror. She then flashed him a grin before grabbing his arm and rubbing her head into his biceps while walking. "You helped me find my strength of heart. You played a part in my decision to carry on with showbiz."

"Ah, I remember. Inoue used to wait around for you here, didn't he?" replied Narukami as they paused outside the Marukyu Tofu Shop.

"Yup," replied Rise. "Thanks for walking me back home, Senpai. You're the best!" She gave him a sudden hug before practically running away to hide her face in the tofu shop.

Taken aback, he realised that he should probably walk away as well to hide his own expression.

"Hey," a familiar female voice called out to him. He paused - he even stopped breathing - and turned around. He recognised her immediately. Her short, straight hair; her perfect skin; those beautiful blue eyes that looked deep into one's soul. "Marie..."

Just seeing her before him wiped away his exhaustion from the long day. She walked up closer to him. He noticed how mature she looked now as compared to just a few months ago, especially with the change in her attire.

"I've been coming here every evening, every day..." she began somewhat nervously. " Hoping I would find you."

He did not even know how to begin to react. This was exactly what he had wanted since last night. Now that she was before him, he could hardly even think through the torrent of emotions rising within his chest.

"Do you... have some time?" she asked him. She seemed to have something to say.

_Of course she has something to say. We haven't seen each other in a long time... _he thought to himself. "Yes... Shall we go up to the hill overlooking the town?" he suggested. Marie nodded, biting on her lower lip as she walked by his side.

It was silent for a few tense moments. They matched pace, taking their time. It had been nearly half a year since they last saw each other. He looked over at her, and she looked back at him at the same time. An awkward silence caused them to break eye contact. Neither said a word until they reached Souzai Daigaku.

"You wanted to talk about something, right?" asked Narukami, pausing in front of the scooter.

"Yeah," replied Marie. "I just don't know where to start. I haven't seen you in such a long time."

"Well, how've you been?" began Narukami. _Better to get the ball rolling than be stuck in awkwardness. _"I noticed you're working for a news station now."

"Yeah, it seemed like the most convenient job," she said with a faint smile. Narukami understood what she meant. After

"You look frustrated about something."

"Well, yeah. I see you for the first time in half a year and you're busy going out with other people," she complained, finally getting down to the matter. "I... I don't know. What is this? Jealousy? Yeah. I guess that's it."

"Oh. You mean Rise?" Narukami shook his head in a deadpan manner. "I'm not dating her."

"No... I'm sorry. That was wrong of me; I shouldn't have said that..." she confessed with guilt in her voice. "It's just... confusing for me. I've kept you close to my heart. I'm always thinking about you. And every time I come here alone... I remember all the things we did together; our memories together. I missed you. I wanted to see you. I had so much to say. And now that we're here together... I don't even know where to begin. And seeing her hug you made me... jealous, I guess. That threw me off for a while."

"I see... I hear you," acknowledged Narukami. "There's no need to be jealous."

"I... I wanna believe you. But I know how you are. You're a leader, and you're popular with people. I feel insecure, especially since I haven't seen you in such a long time, and there's such distance between us... You don't live here, after all."

The incongruity of this confused Marie and the one he remembered confused him somewhat. He believed that she had something to say, but just did not know the right expression for it. It was forgiveable. He recalled what Margaret had told him before: 'Her soul is still very young'.

"That's not like you at all..." he commented with a shake of his head. "The Marie I remember is straightforward and confident."

"... You're right," she conceded, making eye contact with him and nodding firmly. She forced a smile. "I'll come right out and say it. I want to continue our relationship from where we left off."

Narukami nodded. "I want that too."

"Just like that, huh... I feel silly," she confessed, sighing with relief. "And here I was thinking all these crazy thoughts. I was afraid you might have even forgotten me."

"There's no way I could ever forget you. I really wanted to see you too. I just didn't know where to begin looking for you."

"Jerk," she muttered in embarrassment. She looked up at his puzzled face. "I won't believe just words."

"Silly girl," he said, taking her into his arms. She returned his embrace, holding him tightly and taking in his musky scent, mixed with the lingering smell of exhaust fumes and a hint of perspiration. This was the feeling that she had sought for so long! Oh, how she had missed this...

"... You do the sweetest things, youstupidawesomejerk," she said with a blush. They let go of each other, and he mounted his scooter. She sat behind him and held on tightly to his waist.

Just as he started the scooter, two housewives who had just bought some dinner from Souzai Daigaku walked past them, gossiping loudly.

"Hey, isn't it illegal to ride pillion on a scooter?" one asked the other.

"I guess it is, but you know how romance is."

"Ahhh, I wish I was young again."

"Hey, isn't she that weather forecaster? What's she doing with a boy his age?"

"Ooh, an older woman, and a young boy! How romantic... he's so lucky, don't you think?"

"You mean _**she**_, not he, right? I'll bet she can't wait to bring him home for the night..."

The two housewives laughed loudly as they continued to gossip on their way home. Narukami felt Marie hug him tighter and rest her head on his back. He could sense, without even looking, how she felt about those unwanted comments.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder. "Ignore them," he said. He felt her rub her head against his back as she nodded. They made their way to the top of the hill overlooking the town of Inaba. Once there, they were safe from prying eyes and judgemental voices.

Marie seemed to be very bothered by what the two housewives had said. The sky flashed white with lightning, and thunder followed. He deployed the tarp over the scooter, before walking into the pavilion with Marie.

"It's peaceful here... I can be with you without being disturbed." She sighed. She seemed to still be bothered by what those housewives had said, and Narukami took notice. Before he said anything, she made her confession. "Is this what it means to be human? To go through good times and bad... It really hurts to be judged. It's difficult being a human. Why do people have to say such things? Can't they just mind their own business?"

"They just make assumptions with no basis. Sometimes people insult others to make themselves feel happier."

"It's just... been so hard on my own," she continued sadly. The patter of the rain began. "All this time, I felt so lonely without you. I knew you were away, and I'd come to accept that... but when I heard that you were visiting, I began to feel that I really wanted to see you. And now that I have..." She put a hand to her forehead and laughed at herself. "I must look real stupid, huh?"

He gently placed his hand on her cheek. Her skin filled his hand with warmth. "It hasn't been easy for me either... being away from you. After we defeated Izanami-no-Okami, you faded away from the Velvet Room. My heart stopped. I was afraid I would never see you again."

Acknowledging his feelings, she nodded and took hold of the hand on her cheek. "Well, I'm here, now."

He smiled. "That's right." He pulled her close and rested her head against his chest. "Don't you go anywhere."

"I'm not going anywhere... Not after all we've been through. Especially since we're back together now." She hugged him tightly, breathing in deeply as the rain poured overhead. "I love you, Yu. Don't... don't let go again... Ever."

He held her close, keeping her warm and safe in his embrace. "Never."

* * *

Author: In this chapter I wanted to explore Marie dealing with some of the difficulties of human life. Those who have played through the True Ending of Persona 4 Golden will know that Kunino-sagiri, Ameno-sagiri, Kusumi-no-Okami and Izanami-no-Okami are all part of one original entity, known as Izanami-no-Mikoto. The way I interpret it, is that we see this original entity in human form, in the Marie that we see in the True Ending.

Hope you guys like it so far. More to come! :D


	2. I'm Not Real

Reflections of a Hollow Heart

a Persona 4 Golden fanfic

[Author's Note: I drew inspiration from SNOWFLAKES - Powder Snow Mix for this chapter.]

Chapter 2

Narukami laid wide awake in bed as rain continued pouring outside. He had sent Marie home, and arrived at the Dojima Residence later than he should have. His uncle had given him a stern look, but that look softened a little when he explained that he had sent a girl home.

He stared up at the ceiling in the dark of his room. White light snuck into his room with every flash of lightning, sharply casting shadows across the ceiling.

He didn't know what exactly to make of everything that had happened. Meeting Marie for the first time in half a year had been fulfilling, to say the least... yet he had a strange, uneasy feeling about all this. He did not fully understand why, but he could sense that there was more than she was letting up on.

_What was she so worried about? She's probably not telling me everything right now. But no matter... I'll ask her when I see her again._

He took in a deep breath, and sighed. He missed her already. He wished she was there with him, right at that moment. He wanted to hold her close, smell her hair, and hear her voice. He wanted to comfort her, and allow her to take her time to vent the emotions related to him that she had held so closely in her heart for all this time.

They had agreed to meet again the next evening, after she was done with work for the day. This time, however, he would go to meet her instead, at Okina City.

He tossed and he turned, but he couldn't get to sleep. He peeled his blanket off, and walked downstairs.

"Oh, you're still up?" asked Dojima, setting his coffee mug on the table. "I thought you'd be tired after all that activity today."

"Yeah, I just couldn't sleep." muttered Narukami.

"Well, why don't you take a seat here? I've already put Nanako to bed," offered Dojima, gesturing to the empty spot on the sofa. Narukami took up his offer, plopping himself down on the sofa next to his uncle. "Is something bothering you?"

"Not really..." the young man muttered.

Dojima chuckled. He knew there was more to this than he was letting up on. "Young man, you're normally hard to read, but right now, even I can tell that you've got something on your mind." Dojima folded up his newspaper and slid it to the side of the coffee table. "Wanna tell me about it?"

"I guess I should," admitted Narukami. There was no escaping his uncle's detective's senses. "Well... this is kind of awkward, though." He was unaccustomed to sharing his concerns with Dojima; the past year, it had been the other way around.

"Take your time, I'm listening," Dojima reassured him with a fatherly smile. "Least I can do, right? We're family."

"Yeah." Narukami brightened up a little bit. "Alright. So... I'm seeing someone, and I'm a little... confused."

Dojima smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, I'm not surprised you've got someone you like. Is it someone we know?"

"Sort of..."

Dojima caught himself and held back. "Ah... I'm sorry, I shouldn't be interrogating you for details. Tell me what's going on that's making you confused."

Narukami gave him a thankful nod and smile. "I guess... I feel like she's not telling me everything. She confided in me about some insecurities, but it feels like there's something more serious that's bothering her."

"There probably is," concurred Dojima with a thoughtful nod and raised eyebrows. "In every woman, there is a mystery that a man must take the time and effort to solve. In other words..." Dojima turned his head to face Narukami directly. "It's your job to find out what it is."

"A mystery... to solve..." repeated the young man, contemplating his uncle's words. He was surprised by the profundity of the statement, especially since it was so simply worded. "Wow. I never thought about it that way."

"Well, uh..." a slightly embarrassed Dojima said with a shy grin. He realised how uncharacteristic of him that must have sounded. "I _**was**_ married, you know. It really wasn't all smooth sailing. All those perfect romance stories you read are just that - stories. Fantasies. This is real life, with real difficulties. And although life can get difficult, that's why you're there for each other - so nobody will be facing it alone."

With a nod and a sigh, Narukami confessed that he wasn't very sure how to approach the subject. He paused to think for a second, and added that he was normally the one advising people about their lives, or listening to their problems, but the clarity disappeared when he became the one caught in a situation of his own. "What's the best way to talk to her about it?" he asked, finally.

Dojima smiled at his nephew. He fully understood what the young man meant, having been his age once as well. He felt a little satisfied, too, now that he could fulfil his role as an uncle. "There isn't a 'best way'," he said kindly. "But there are two things you must remember no matter what: **be calm, and be honest**. Even if you mess everything up; even if you're completely awkward and you look like a fool... as long as you calmly and honestly tell her how you feel, and show that you want to help her, I'm sure she'll open up to you. Show her that you really care and that you'll be doing your best for her even when the going gets tough." He put his firm, callused hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Young love is a wonderful thing. Don't let small bumps like this spoil it for you."

With a better understanding of things, Narukami smiled. "Thanks, Uncle Dojima," he said gratefully. "I've got a lot to learn about life."

"You're a great guy, Yu. If I had a son, I would want him to be like you. Don't ever doubt yourself just because you can't solve one problem immediately. We're only human. What matters is that we learn." Dojima looked out the window and then checked his watch. "Hmm, it's pretty late. I have work tomorrow, so I'm going to get some rest. Remember to turn off the lights when you go to bed." Dojima stood up, put his mug in the sink, and went back to his room.

The young man sat on the sofa in the living room, quietly mulling over his uncle's advice. He had made some good points. Listening to the pitter-patter of the rain, he seemed to achieve a temporary sense of clarity, and developed a little determination. His uncle's kind words stayed deep in the back of his mind as he drifted into unconsciousness.

He woke up when his phone rang, buzzing about atop the coffee table. When did his phone even...?

He picked it up, still a little groggy from sleeping late. Sliding his thumb between the two halves of his clamshell phone, he flipped it open and saw that he had a missed call and a message. Both were from Marie.

The message read:

_Hey, I'm on leave today. Wanna come over? I'm at the Chagall Cafe._

He checked the time: eleven in the morning. He checked the timestamp on the message: two hours ago. Jolted awake, he clamped the phone shut and hurried upstairs to take a shower.

Within fifteen minutes, he was out of the house. He sent a reply telling her he was on his way before swiftly starting up the scooter and riding his way to Okina City. Narukami was burning up from the heat of the summer sun as he pulled up at the motorcycle parking lot in front of Okina Station. He put away his helmet, and walked over to the Chagall Cafe. Swinging the door open, he scanned the cafe quickly from right to left. He caught sight of Mumon tricking another poor sod into consuming his Owner's Special Brew.

_Something is different. Marie is nowhere to be found..._ he thought to himself. He caught sight of a colourful piece of paper on the floor and bent down to pick it up. _Hmm? _ There were no words written on it in cute handwriting...

He felt two taps on his back, and stood up to face the source. There stood Marie, dressed exactly as he first saw her, complete with her red choker. "Gotcha," she teased with a mischievous grin. Relief and delight overcame him; he forgot in that moment that he was probably late. "Come on, let's go." She took him by the upper arm and pulled him out of the Cafe.

"You look great," he said, sincerely complimenting her look. He had missed this look of hers, which reminded him of J-rock fashion. He had only seen her in office wear recently. Not that he didn't like it, of course.

"Th-Thanks," she said, wrapping her arm around his elbow... then she paused and pulled back, tugging his arm. "Wait! Are you saying I don't look great without this outfit?!"

"Uh? No, that's not what I meant."

She smiled devilishly. "I know what you meant. I was just teasing you."

She pulled him into Croco Fur to check out the latest fashion. He listened intently as Marie made fun of the costumes section. After that, they crossed the street to check out some music at the local Power Records outlet. She bought a couple of DVDs, which brought something to his attention: she was doing all these very human things, which he had come to expect of anyone. Anyone... but her.

_Wow. She's adapting so well to human life, so fast..._ he thought.

He remembered their first outing. They had gone to Souzai Daigaku, and she had very innocently asked him whether it was impossible to eat unless one had money. He offered to buy her some food, and she proceeded to say he was awesome because he had money and therefore could eat. He had found that most amusing.

Moving on, they grabbed a late lunch at Wild-Duck Burger, consuming perfectly roasted duck chunks, drizzled with a sweet and salty sauce, sandwiched between slices of bread, while discussing her job as a weather forecaster. She amused him with recounts of various happenings at work. Notably, a rival had tried to edge her way into Marie's time slot, and in return she changed Inaba's weather patterns just slightly to ensure that this rival's forecasts were always inaccurate. Marie was given the time slot again to alleviate viewers' frustrations, and all was back to normal. This thing about her controlling the weather, though... it bothered him a little bit.

After lunch, they headed over to 30 Frames to watch a movie. Marie suggested 'Mission: Improbable 4', which he was fine with. Dom Cruz was a decent actor. They came out of the theatre two hours later, their hearts pumping hard with adrenaline left over from the exciting action movie.

"It was pretty cool how he climbed around on that building with those high-tech gloves and boots. Money really _**can**_ buy you everything, huh?" she asked. Slightly embarrassed, Narukami and told her that it wasn't real. Not yet, at least. Embarrassed now herself, she folded her arms and looked to the side. "I-I knew that..." Not wanting to dwell on this any further, he walked over to the Crane Game machine, and dropped a coin in it. She followed and stood next to him. "Oh yeah, I've seen this a couple of times. What's this thing for?"

"It's a Crane Game. You move the mechanical claw and try to grab a toy," he explained. "Like this..." He demonstrated, moving the stick and directing the claw towards a toy that caught his eye for its dark blue fur and red trimmings...

"It's a... Teddie... bear..." she stated with some awkwardness.

Narukami lowered his head in exasperation. _That Teddie..._ He hit the button and the claw descended on the bear, but failed to catch it. _... I swear, this thing..._

"What's the point, though?" she enquired. "I've seen this a couple of times but I don't really get why people get excited over a stuffed toy."

"It's something by which people can remember events," he explained matter-of-factly, stepping away from the machine. "And it's a little exciting when you win it through the game."

"To remember, huh..." mused Marie with a subtle smile. The word 'remember' had an especially deep meaning to her. It was the fact that she did not remember a thing back then that had brought them together in the first place.

They walked away from the cinema, towards the Okina City Park. Reaching the highest point of the park, they turned to the west to watch the sunset.

"Sunset... on a hill," she said. "Doesn't this bring back memories?"

"Yeah."

"Sunset... Departure of light, the call to the night..." she muttered to herself. She felt a firm and warm grasp form around her palm. With a blush, she squeezed back, holding his hand tightly.

As they quietly watched sun set over the horizon, Narukami noticed dark clouds gathering overhead. It was getting chilly around him, too... and it brought back that uneasy feeling he had before. He felt her hand slip from his grasp. Surprised, he turned to see what was happening.

The corners of her lips drooped, and her arms were folded across her chest. She seemed to be biting on her lower lip, and she was looking down, hiding her eyes behind the visor of her blue hat.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, reaching out to her. She turned away from him, but that did not faze him. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind, sliding them under her arms to hold her close to him. "You can tell me. I'll listen."

She was silent for a few moments, and then he felt her unfold her arms and clutch his wrists. "I... I have so much fun when I'm with you. You make everything better for me... But I... how..."

"Calm down. Let's talk about it," he suggested.

"... Okay," she agreed, nodding tensely. He took her by the hand and led her to a bench, where they sat down. She took a moment to put her thoughts into words. "The sunset... twisted my heart. Sunset represents the end of a day."

"'Departure of light, the call to the night'... right?" Narukami recalled.

"You were listening, huh... Yeah," she said, as if revealing a secret. "I... I hate endings. I'm afraid that one day, we may never see each other again. I'm happy when I'm with you. That's why endings worry me. What if what we have going between us just... ends? Just thinking about it, I feel hollow inside..."

He acknowledged her feelings with a nod and place a hand on her shoulder. "I promised you, Marie. That's not gonna happen. I won't let go."

"That's not it..." She sighed. "This feeling I have, it's... it's like it won't be your fault when that happens. It's something else."

"Let's not talk about it like it's already happened."

Marie nodded reluctantly. Clearly, she was still feeling down about it regardless. She cast her gaze down at her hands, which were crossed together. "I don't even understand why you're with me," she said. "I'm a liar. A fake. My identity in the legal system isn't real. The name on my contract at the news station, the date and place of birth... They're all fake." She paused to wipe a tear from her eye. "I'm... not real."

He took her hand in his, and with his free hand, he dried her face. "That's not true. The times we spent together, making memories... all of that was real. You're as real as you need to be."

"Huh...?" she uttered barely audibly. His logic stunned her. "I... guess you're right. What was I even thinking?" She shifted closer to him and rested her head on his chest. She felt one arm wrap around her bare shoulders and the other curling around her neck, covering them in a gentle, protective warmth. " All that... doesn't matter. As long as I have you."

Narukami nodded, feeling her take hold of his shoulder with one hand.

"You know... I'm still amazed by you," she confessed. "I'm naive, insecure, sometimes brash... Yet you take the time to talk me through my feelings and somehow... you always make things better."

"That's because that's exactly what I like about you," he explained, looking into her deep blue eyes.

She looked back into his kind eyes, which were just inches away from hers. She felt the warmth of his breath caress the edges of her face. With each passing second, the distance between them grew shorter. His eyes shifted to her perfectly formed lips for a moment, before returning to where they were before. Her face flushed red and her heart pounded wildly as if to flutter away to the moon.

She closed her eyes and tugged on the back of his neck, closing the gap between them. The softness of her lips enveloped his and the sweet scent of her skin drifted into him, filling him with an intense passion. Instinctively, he entranced her with the masculine way in which he took her in, holding her firmly. In that moment, nothing else mattered to them... only each other.

He spent a little more time with her before sending her home for the night and returning to the Dojima Residence. He slid the door open and removed his shoes, leaving them at the entrance. It was late, but Dojima only gave him a nod to acknowledge his return and did not ask any questions.

Glad that his uncle was so understanding, he didn't push it any further. He heard a crack of thunder, only slightly muffled by the walls of this small house. _Thunder..._ he thought to himself as he entered his room to grab his clothes and bath towel.

Taking a warm shower, he thought about the day's happenings. He had had a good day out with Marie; they had begun to address insecurities... He knew that the weather in the Inaba region was under Marie's control, and he had begun to associate changes in weather with changes in her mood. It was a little disconcerting to think that she might still be upset about something, but the signs were all pointing to it and he couldn't shake that thought...

He returned to his room and sat on the sofa, checking his mobile phone while waiting for his hair to dry. There were ten unanswered messages in his inbox. Most of them were from Yosuke and Kanji, each asking three times about hanging out the next day with the rest of the gang, and wondering what he was up to all day. Feeling a little bad about not replying to their messages, he apologised and agreed to hang out with them.

_Wow. Midnight,_ he said, hearing the clock strike twelve. _It's late..._

He stretched and yawned... and stopped immediately once he heard a familiar and unexpected sound. The dark of the room was broken by the amber light of the television.

He silently watched. He remembered the landscape; it was similar to what he had seen after they had defeated Izanami-no-Okami. It was a beautiful place after the fog had left... but why was the channel showing again? There was also something different about this scene... it was raining heavily in there, and there was a silhouette in the centre of the screen that they couldn't quite make out. The channel cut off after two more seconds.

His phone buzzed, and he hit the answer button.

"Sensei!" greeted Teddie enthusiastically.

"Hey, don't shout now; it's late," chided Yosuke. "Yo, Senpai! Did you see?! The Midnight Channel..."

"Yeah, guys, it's back," confirmed Narukami, realising this was a conference call. "Any idea why, Teddie?"

"N-no," Teddie said dejectedly. "I've been taking bear-y good care of the place while you were away! It's never shown anything like that... It's never rained inside there, too."

"Can you make out who it is?" asked Yosuke.

"No," said Narukami. "The rain was too heavy on-screen."

"One thing's for sure, though. That person is female."

"... I don't even want to know how you can tell."

"W-What?!" Yosuke exclaimed in his defence. "H-hey, now's not the time for jokes! Let's meet up tomorrow at Junes like we planned. I'm sure the others have seen this too."

Yosuke hung up. Narukami set the phone next to his pillow, and laid down on the futon. What did all this mean? Shutting his eyes, he decided that there was no point in thinking too much about it at this time. The Investigation Team would be better able to draw a clearer picture, together.

* * *

Author:

I took a while to write this chapter, because I was constantly dissatisfied with the expressions and the way the characters were being presented. I am a big fan of Persona 4 and its characters, so I want to be as true to the series as possible.

In this chapter, I wanted to explore how Marie has adapted to human life, and how she is still adjusting. My interpretation is that despite having absorbed her fragments and returning to oneness with all those memories and information, she is still Marie at heart, with conflicted feelings and a strong desire to understand them and to be understood. I would also like to think that her individual parts coming back together did not immediately endow her with omniscience, but rather, as a consequence of being in human form, the presence of this knowledge is _subtle_, and its use, _instinctive_.

I also really wanted to explore how their relationship would work past the stage of falling in love. Instead of just happily "spending time" together, I wanted to put them through some difficulties - and this will of course only get more intense with time.

Dear readers, and also the users who left me a review, I am glad that you, too, like Marie. I will do my best to write a good story for you all. Please do tell me if there is something I can or should improve on.

I hope you guys like where I'm going with this. Stay tuned. ^^


	3. Mayonaka Marie

Reflections of a Hollow Heart

a Persona 4 Golden fanfic

Chapter 3

[Author's Note: This fanfic does not take into account the events of Persona 4 Arena, although some elements may be based on it.]

* * *

**The following morning, at the Junes food court...**

"This is highly suspicious..." said Naoto, resting her chin on her hand in deep thought. "I have not seen the Midnight Channel come on, ever since the time we defeated Izanami-no-Okami."

"That's true. I've been regularly visiting the TV World every week to keep an eye on it... I haven't smelled anything change in there. It's allllllllll beautiful!" Teddie said with sparkling eyes.

"Well, don't you guys think it's worth investigating? It's kinda pointless just sittin' around here thinkin' about it," suggested Kanji.

"Before that, let's take a moment to confirm the situation." Naoto opened her notebook and flipped to a page full of writing. "Remember our encounter with Izanami-no-Okami? She said that the TV World was the world of the human consciousness... a world shaped by human thoughts."

"That's true, but wasn't that true only when the fog existed inside that world?" asked Yukiko. "The Shadows were calm because of the fog and only became violent when the inside cleared up... Without the fog..."

Naoto nodded in acknowledgement. "While that is true... That does not necessarily mean that the essential properties of the Midnight Channel have changed. It is possible that the Midnight Channel still reflects human thoughts," she theorised. "When Izanami-no-Okami was defeated, she only said that humanity would have to live by its decisions, and whether the result would be happiness or unhappiness, she could not guarantee."

"Yeah, she didn't say that the Midnight Channel was going to disappear," added Chie. "I mean, we can still go inside a TV if we touch it. We just haven't really had a reason to..."

"That's right," agreed Yosuke. "So let's say the Midnight Channel still exists and its properties are kinda like before. Why is something showing on TV at all? And why is it showing what's showing?"

"If the pattern holds," said Naoto, sounding slightly unsure. "Then what was on the TV was the result of a collective sentiment, shared by a significant number of people in the Inaba region. The main reason for that, previously, was that rumours had spread about the Midnight Channel, and some individuals became the focus of people's attention because they appeared on a medium that was easily accessible - the TV."

"So... could anyone figure out who it was yesterday?" Kanji asked.

A wave of disappointment and frustration washed over the group.

"Nope. The image wasn't clear enough..." replied Yosuke with a bit of a growl. He caught himself and cleared his throat. "Okay, wait, let's roll back. Who's been on TV lately that might get this kind of attention in Inaba?"

"A lot of people have been on TV, and for the most normal of reasons. It's not going to be easy to tell based just on that," added Naoto, putting her notebook away.

"What if we look at it differently?" suggested Narukami. "Maybe we're on the wrong track."

"Yes, Senpai," agreed Naoto. "I think so too. Because of our past knowledge, we usually assume it's what people saw and are thinking about that appears on the Midnight Channel."

A brainwave hit Chie. "So maybe, it's what people _didn't_ see, and want to see, that appears on the Midnight Channel in this case?" Everyone turned to look at her with surprise. "U-Uh, I'm just blurting again, aren't I?"

Narukami smiled. "In a good way. You might be onto something." Chie sighed with relief. "Naoto, what do you think?"

"Going with that angle," began Naoto, pondering over the facts. "If what people want is to see rain, then it still doesn't make very much sense. It has been rather rainy this summer, just like last year. Could we be missing something?"

Kanji leaned into the conversation. "Hey, how about weather forecasts? Marie-chan wasn't on TV yesterday."

"That's right!" agreed Rise. "Wait, Kanji, how do you know that? You were watching for her, weren't you?" She eyed him with a mischievous look.

"W-What?" he asked, putting his hands up in defence. "Y-Ya got it all wrong! I was checkin' on the weather 'cause we were goin' out today!"

Narukami was amused. Kanji was sensitive about being teased, as he always was.

"Say, Senpai, you don't look surprised at all about what Kanji said," prodded Rise with a suspicious look, leaning closer to him. "Could it be that you two were on a daaaaaaate yesterday? Hmmmm?"

"Let's investigate." he said plainly, avoiding the topic.

**In the TV World**

The main entrance from the TV in Junes was as it had always been, minus the fog. It was a place that seemed like a large studio of sorts, with all kinds of hanging and moving lights, and a stage below it.

"Say, Yosuke," prodded Narukami curiously. "This particular TV set has never been sold over the past year. Is it cursed?"

"What?! No!" Yosuke turned red with embarrassment. "I just... we haven't really been able to sell a TV of that size, that's all." Yukiko giggled, and Chie rolled her eyes.

"So what are we looking for, Sensei?" asked Teddie, having switched back to his original form.

"Rain. And I'm sure you know Marie well enough," Narukami replied.

"Okay, Sensei!" exclaimed Teddie in his typical bubbly fashion as he sniffed the air around him. "Hmm... I'm not smelling anything..."

"Rise?" asked Narukami. "Do you see anything?"

Pouting, Rise turned away and folded her arms. "I'm not talking to you," she declared.

"Come on, Rise-chan," coaxed Yukiko, putting her hand on Rise's shoulder gently. "We shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves. We need to see if Marie-chan is in danger."

"... Fine," she said grudgingly, summoning Kouzeon. Yukiko gave her a hug, and Teddie jumped and rolled about in front of her. Slightly amused by the sight, her mood improved. Scanning through the visor, she looked for signs of the two factors previously mentioned. They waited for a minute, after which she raised the visor. "I don't see anything..."

"Were we wrong after all, Senpai?" asked Kanji. "Maybe we're just jumping to conclusions."

"Maybe," he conceded with a sigh.

"Hold on, Senpai," said Naoto cautiously. "If Marie-chan was the person in the TV, couldn't she just leave easily? Izanami-no-Okami is a part of her, after all... isn't she?"

"That's true..." Narukami could hardly believe that he had missed that out in his considerations. "I guess we're wasting time. I'm sorry."

**Evening, Okina City**

Marie waved goodbye to a colleague as she walked out of the news station building, and secured her handbag under her arm as she made her way towards the agreed meeting place, the Chagall Cafe by the station.

Ten minutes later, she was on the street leading to the Okina City train station. As she walked, she stole a look at a shop's display window, checking her reflection to ensure that she looked presentable. _All good_. With a satisfied smile, she kept going.

As she approached the entrance to the cafe, she saw him waiting outside and looking in her direction. Smiling, she waved at him, and he reciprocated while approaching her. They met halfway.

From behind his back, Narukami pulled out a rose and presented it to her. The light of the setting sun covered its surface in a warm glow, accentuating its natural beauty. The subtle scent of the rose wafted in her direction, as he held it out for her to take. She received the rose from him and foolishly tried to hide behind it. She approached him, hid her face in his chest and hugged him.

"Jerk... Itoldyounottoscaremelikethat," she blurted, holding him tightly for a moment. She pulled away, feeling the stares of onlookers upon them. She glanced at the flower and its simple conical plastic wrapping. "A rose..."

"I thought you might like it."

"I like all kinds of flowers," she admitted with a smile. "Thank you."

"Where do you want to go today?" he asked.

"I bought a DVD during lunch. Let's watch it at my place."

**Marie's apartment**

The credits rolled up the screen. With the press of a button on the remote control, Marie powered off the TV. "Wow... So people give flowers for all kinds of reasons, huh?" she asked, discussing the movie's plot devices. She looked over at the lone rose in the vase by her bedside counter. "To express affection, to apologise, and to make a memory..." Shifting a few inches across the bed to sit closer to Narukami, she looked up at him. "Flowers can say so much. They're amazing. What else do people give flowers for?"

"Sometimes to wish someone to 'get well soon'... Sometimes for birthdays and sometimes for funerals," he explained simply.

"Birthdays..." she muttered, mulling over what he had just said. She lowered her head, taking in a deep breath and sighing heavily. "I don't actually 'have' a birthday... And if I just randomly set a date as my birthday, that doesn't have any meaning, does it?"

"Probably not."

"I wasn't born from a person... I know that. But even knowing that, I... I want to have a birthday. But how can I...?"

Narukami observed as she mulled over this with a troubled look. With a kind smile, he put his hand on hers reassuringly. "We'll think of something... and when we do, we'll celebrate. I'll invite everyone."

"You promise?" she asked hopefully, looking up at him for confirmation.

"I promise."

Her eyes glistened at the very idea, and she gave him a big hug. "Who taught you to say all these things? You really know how to make me feel so happy even when I'm down." She pulled away and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I'll be right back."

Narukami's phone buzzed in his pocket. He retrieved it and flipped it open. It was a message from Rise.

It read:

_"Earlier today, I was only teasing you, but you just shot me down in front of everyone..."_

_"I guess I shouldn't have."_ He lowered his head ashamedly as he typed the reply.

_"That hurt, you know... :("_

_"I'm sorry. Please forgive me."_

_"Okay... but you gotta know that I've been looking forward to seeing you again all year. I only have 4 more days off before I go back to work and you're making it a miserable time. Senpai, you're terrible. :( :( :("_

Narukami sighed. It had been a bad move on his part, admittedly. But...

"Something bothering you?" asked Marie, returning to her seat next to him. He snapped the phone shut and placed it on the bedside counter.

"No, it's nothing," he answered.

"Good. Because you're all mine tonight," she said as she straddled him, hugged him and then leaned in to push him onto his back. Through her clothing, his hands traced the contours of her outer thighs, up to her waist, and then found their way to her back. Sliding her hands under his shoulders, she leaned downward. He held her waist with one arm, and with he pressed the other into her upper back. Her impossibly soft hair caressed his face as she gently laid her small, smooth lips upon his. Her sweet scent drew out the very essence of his being. In that moment, their souls melded into one.

She rested her head against his bare chest and closed her eyes with a smile upon her face. "Goodnight..." she muttered, slowly drifting out of consciousness.

"Goodnight," he said in reciprocation. He stroked her soft, short hair, taking in her scent as he did. Enjoying the warmth of their embrace under the covers, he closed his eyes to fully take in this moment. The past few days had been his happiest all year. It was pure bliss, knowing she was close to him until the last moments of the day. In minutes, he, too, had drifted into unconsciousness.

For a long time - hours, probably - it was calm and quiet darkness...

_All shall return to their rightful place._

_RETURN._

Jolted awake, his eyelids snapped open and he sat up instantly. An amber light filled the darkness of the room, and he heard his phone buzzing on the counter by the bed.

The sight before him took the words out of his mouth. An image of Marie stood in the centre of the TV screen, waving frantically from the Midnight Channel and apparently touching the screen as if to try to escape.

"No way," he muttered, leaping from the bed in his half-dressed state. He rashly thrust himself into the TV screen, and his vision became clear. He saw her - dressed in her usual clothing - just a few metres in front of him. Heavy rain poured down on him and soaked him thoroughly. "Marie!"

"Yu...!" she exclaimed, hurrying towards him through the strong wind and heavy rain.

"Let's get out of here!" he exclaimed, reaching out to her. The wind chill caused him to shudder as he waited with his arms wide open. She closed the gap in seconds... and passed right through him as if she weren't even there. "Huh...?!"

She looked up at her hands, which had turned translucent. This had to be a nightmare. It just had to be.

_You are not of this world._

_Return to your own!_

Narukami felt a great force suddenly overwhelm him, and he lost sight of her as he was violently flung from the TV and back onto her bed in her apartment. He could hear her calling out to him as he was forced out of the TV. While he recovered from the shock, the amber light of the Midnight Channel faded. With a loud and terrifying snap, the television screen ruptured, splitting violently down the centre.

His head cleared somewhat, and he heard a buzzing noise coming from his left. He snatched his mobile phone from the counter. Two missed calls from Yosuke. This call was from Naoto. He picked up.

"Senpai!" she greeted urgently. "Did you see the Midnight Channel?"

"Didn't you se- No, never mind that. Yes, I did," he replied. Stressed out by everything that had just happened, he hurried over to the washroom to wash his face.

"That was undoubtedly Marie-chan," she continued. "Everyone's agreed to meet at Junes early tomorrow morning."

"Alright," acknowledged Narukami. He hung up and splashed some cold water on his face before grabbing a towel to dry himself with. He would not be getting any sleep tonight, that much was for certain.

* * *

Author:

In this chapter, I wanted to explore another facet of Marie's insecurities, and also show Narukami's manly side a little bit. I also wanted to give a little push to the story with the Investigation Team and the Midnight Channel. Take note that the focus is on Narukami and Marie, so the focus will be on them, and the Investigation Team will be in mostly supporting roles.

Also, if you have anything to say about my work so far, such as suggestions for improvement, feel free to drop me a PM or a review. I will be glad to discuss them with you.


	4. A Cruel Individual

Reflections of a Hollow Heart

a Persona 4 Golden fanfic

Chapter 4

**The next morning, in the TV World**

Having ascertained Marie's general location, the Investigation Team made their way there... but it was not quite what they were expecting. When it all came into view, they let out a collective gasp.

"This... this is..." a stunned Yukiko began with her jaw agape. "It's incredible..."

"This is beautiful..." Kanji muttered. "Wow..."

Narukami swept his eyes from side to side. Vibrant, complementary colours were splashed across the landscape. Dew-covered leaves glittered in the sunlight with the gentle blowing of the youthful wind. Bright white clouds hovered not far overhead.

"We can't get distracted," he declared, bringing everyone back to reality. "We have to be very careful here. This is the TV World."

"Senpai's right," urged Naoto. "Let's recall the facts before we proceed." Naoto began summarising the situation. "There is a disturbance in this world. Rise and Teddie confirm that this is a new zone in the TV World, which, based on previous experience, we can only assume is someone's reality. The night before last, we saw rain and a silhouette on the Midnight Channel. We investigated the following day, yielding no results. Last night, we saw clearly that Marie-chan was on the Midnight Channel. She seemed worried, and it seemed that she was attempting to escape, but could not exit the TV. Senpai has confirmed that he saw as much."

Narukami confirmed Naoto's summary with a firm nod. "We must proceed cautiously. We don't know what we're dealing with here. Rise, can you tell where Marie is?"

"No... Something's jamming it. I know she's here, but I can't pinpoint it. I can't map the place out, either. It's like it keeps changing," she reported, lifting the visor up.

"That's a problem," said Kanji. "If there's a sudden change, we could get hurt, or worse: separated."

Yukiko shuddered at the thought. "That's quite terrifying, actually..."

"We don't have much choice, then. Stay close," said Narukami. His comrades nodded in agreement, and they proceeded through the bizarre entrance, consisting of a swirling red circle with charcoal-grey stripes.

After warping through the entrance to the other side, they checked their surroundings one more time. They were in a new area, but there was no time to get a grasp for the place just yet. They heard, coming from behind them, a sound like bricks crumbling, and turned around to check it out.

The entrance - and exit - swirled into itself, and disappeared with a loud snap. That sound caused Narukami to jerk reflexively as if responding to a familiar and threatening sound. In place of the entrance was a tall and grand marble pillar, which crumbled where it stood.

"Sensei, the entrance...!" exclaimed Teddie.

"It disappeared!" finished Rise.

_You were told to remain in your world... yet you have come once again._

_What is it you seek?_

"Who's there?" demanded Kanji. "Show yourself, you little prick! We know how this world works. This is someone's reality. Give it up!"

"Kanji-kun!" hissed Naoto, placing her hand firmly on his arm. Her eyes told him that he should say no more, and he stopped there. Realising that he had likely revealed some information about them, he turned away in embarrassment and irritation.

_You can do nothing here._

_You have no power._

_I would suggest you turn back, but... you don't even have the power to do that now, do you?_

"Ignore it," said Narukami, looking at this surroundings. "It's a trick. There has to be something here. Some way out. Where are we?"

Naoto turned her attention to the room and its decorations - or lack thereof. "Bare, perfectly flat marble walls and floor. But look at the quality of the marble and the intricacy of the pillars. It's so pure, and it shimmers. In the person's mind, this must have been built with some reverence. But... to what?"

"Worship?" suggested Yukiko. "Maybe a temple of some sort?"

"That certainly seems like a logical guess," acknowledged Naoto, giving it some thought. "So perhaps a temple of worship. Now, let's see if there are any other clues..." Naoto started pacing about the room. "We need to find a way to get past this place. There are no doors, no windows..."

"Can't we just break our way out?" asked Kanji. "I mean yeah, there's no telling what's on the other side of the walls, but if it's just rock and marble, my Persona can probably crush it." Without even waiting for a response, Kanji concentrated his thoughts and called out to his Persona. "Rokuten Maoh!" The massive Demon King of the Sixth Heaven materialised. With a wave of his arm, Kanji directed him to face one of the walls, and shoulder-charge through it. Before anyone could say a word, Rokuten Maoh struck the wall - and was instantly repelled. Kanji recoiled in pain, and he dismissed his Persona temporarily. "Damn...!"

"As I suspected... there is no easy way out of here," noted Naoto with a pensive look. "Are you alright, Kanji-kun?"

"I-I'm fine," he replied, rubbing his sore shoulder while hiding his face from Naoto. Narukami was mildly amused. Kanji had not changed all that much, despite outward appearances.

"Naoto," said Narukami, noticing that Naoto was now taking deliberate steps as she paced about. "You seem to have an idea of what's going on. What are you thinking?"

"I can't confirm it yet, but I suspect there is a puzzle element to this room. We are trapped in here, with no obvious exit. We are being taunted. I can only assume that this person knows who we are and is toying with us. It is also unlikely to be Marie-chan, although I cannot yet exclude that possibility decisively."

"Puzzle... Hmm." Narukami studied the room. There were no clues. There were no windows, or doors. But there was light... "Light...?" he wondered aloud as he searched for its source. "There's light in this room despite there being no windows, doors, or light sources."

"Not only that, I've just measured the lengths and breadths of this room. The widths and lengths perfectly match up on each side of the room. If you were to draw two lines from each corner diagonally... the lines would intersect at the pillar. That seems to be the point of this room."

"What about the light in the room? There's no hole in the roof."Narukami looked up. "This seems obvious. The light source is where the pillar was."

"Is there any way to rebuild it?" suggested Kanji. "Maybe if we put it back together, something will unlock." Taking his own suggestion immediately, he bent down to pick up pieces of marble - and found that his hands went right through them. "What the-?!" He pulled back in shock.

Something snapped together in Naoto's mind. "Senpai! Summon Izanagi!"

Narukami acknowledged with a nod. "Izanagi!" he exclaimed, summoning the ethereal Tarot Card that bore Izanagi's image. He shattered it, and the spear-bearing Izanagi materialised before him. Quite shockingly, without orders, Izanagi stabbed its spear into the floor and stepped in front of the pillar. It stretched its hands out in front, and the pillar reverted to its original state, in precisely the reverse of the order in which it had crumbled, much like a tape being rewound.

Once that was done, the temple rumbled strongly, throwing everyone off-balance. The floor beneath them split open, revealing clouds beneath them, and the ground far below. The temple crumbled apart around the now intact pillar, and eventually came apart completely. Each split piece became a floating island, isolating Narukami, Izanagi and the pillar.

Checking his surroundings, he ascertained that the rest of the team were split up, and the floating pieces of the temple were drifting farther away each second. He knew there was no time. He turned to Naoto, who was waving at him vigorously. "Naoto, how did you know?!"

"Senpai! You are the key!" She said before she was cut off. The floating pieces of the temple each became shrouded in a dull purple light, which shrank into themselves and disappeared.

Now, he was truly alone. He looked at his surroundings one more time. Izanagi grabbed its spear and pointed out the way with it. "Do not worry about them. They are safe... for now."

Narukami was taken aback. His Persona had never taken unilateral action before this. Even then, what was Izanagi talking about? How did he know?

"Are you surprised?" it asked him.

"...!" Completely speechless, Narukami could only stare as Izanagi lowered its spear. He collected his thoughts and calmed himself down. "That's right... Personas and Shadows are similar. You could speak, just that you never needed to."

Izanagi nodded. "This world... I know it. Therefore... you know it."

"... What do you mean?"

"You will understand." It led the way, gliding forward. Narukami only now took notice of the long wooden bridge before him that ascended farther into the sky. "This is... Ame-no-ukihashi. The floating bridge of heaven." Seeing Narukami's legs tremble with vertigo, Izanagi spoke again. "Do not fear. There is something more important to you at stake, is there not?"

Nodding, Narukami followed Izanagi. What Izanagi had said to him earlier came to mind as he crossed the bridge. He reached the end after some time, and before him stood a wooden gate five metres high.

"Beyond this door lies Takamagahara, the Plain of Heaven. Are you ready?" Izanagi asked him. "Your trial... is just beginning."

"Trial...?"

Izanagi pushed the door open. "Words are unnecessary at this point." Narukami followed. The instant he entered, the bridge behind him disappeared, and the gate slammed shut. "There is no turning back."

Narukami gripped the scabbard of his katana tightly. "I have no intention of turning back."

_Do I sense determination? _

_Good... _

"Show yourself," demanded Narukami, his anger seeping from under his normally cool exterior.

_Come forward, and you shall find that which you seek._

Narukami followed Izanagi across the rolling, windswept plain. In a word, it was beautiful... but he could not allow himself to be deceived. Everything in this world was the expression of someone's psyche. If his guess was right, however... the truth would-

Izanagi paused, and Narukami stopped as well.

"Are you ready?" it asked again, as if something was about to happen.

Holding back his impatience and annoyance at being repeatedly asked the same question, Narukami said, "I am ready."

Without another word, Izanagi spun its spear twice in front of it, and with a bright flash of white light, the plains disappeared, replaced instead by a gigantic palace-like structure sitting atop clouds of pure white. Before he could even take that in, however, a translucent, otherworldly door appeared before him. He knew this door... He took hold of the handle.

He was transported to a familiar room, the inside of which was covered in blue and velvet. His eyes rested upon a beautiful young woman with platinum blonde hair and bright, golden eyes. With a faint smile, she greeted him. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. You must be wondering why you have been called here once more."

Narukami nodded.

"I will explain," said Igor, gesturing with an open hand to the Tarot Cards laid out on the table before him. His eyes rested on the card of the Death Arcana."You are in grave danger."

"Danger?" he asked.

"Yes... Your next encounter is about life and death, is it not? In pursuing your current course of action, you will profoundly affect your destiny, and that of those around you. Your own life may be at stake," Igor explained rather vaguely. "Of course, it is not our place to decide what you do - we are only observe and sometimes influence - because the decision is ultimately yours."

"I will continue," declared Narukami. "This is the only acceptable choice."

"You show strength of heart, but will that be enough, I wonder..." mused Igor with delight. "We will be watching... Until we meet again. Farewell."

Narukami's vision faded, and when he opened his eyes, he was once again in front of the palace. The steel doors swung open, and Narukami proceeded inside along with Izanagi. As soon as they had entered the main courtyard, the doors slammed shut on their own.

_Greetings, son of man._

The voice seemed to come from all around him, and was not as threatening as it had sounded before in his dreams. He looked far ahead, and saw a lone figure that stood out amongst the very ancient and grand architecture. He ran forward towards the figure, and Izanagi followed closely. He would recognise that white hooded tunic and red gown anywhere.

"Marie!" he called out, pausing as he got close enough to speak to her.

"Yu!" she exclaimed in return. "You... you really came all the way here for me."

"Let's get out of here," said Narukami, walking in her direction. He took two steps forward, and was subsequently repulsed by an unknown force, which sent him rolling back onto the stone pavement. "What...? A wall..."

Marie pulled back the hood and lowered her head. "I... I can't," she replied miserably. "I just can't."

"What do you mean?" he asked, getting back on his feet.

"I feel so stupid..." she confessed with a heavy heart. "I should have realised this sooner, but... I can't stay in the human world."

"You... can't? Why?"

"You remember, don't you? That night when you tried to take me back..." she muttered, looking at her hand. "I didn't understand it at the time, but now... I know. My time is up." She lowered her head to hide her face, which was now scrunched together in a painful mix of sadness and anger.

With his shoulders slouched slightly, he gave her a confused look. She looked up at him, but catching sight of this, she could not bear to maintain eye contact with him. "I'm sorry I couldn't figure this out earlier... I should have known. I was originally a 'resident of this side'... I always felt sad, even when I was with you... Because I subconsciously knew that I couldn't possibly continue to exist in your world."

"But... everything has been fine until now. Even Teddie...!" Narukami knew he was grasping at straws, but he had to try and say something anyway.

"I know..." she said, holding a hand over her heart as if to ease the aching in her chest. "I know, but this is different!" She paused to let it sink in. "I'm not Teddie. I'm not just a Shadow that found a heart. I'm not a Shadow... And I'm not a human. I know how you feel, but... I'm not a human... even if I look like one and try to be one; even if I have a 'heart' and feel and think like one..."

The words cut Narukami like a spear through his heart. Why was she giving up just like that? He did not understand. "What are you talking about...?" He felt a splitting headache coming on, and had to balance on his katana. Izanagi helped to hold him up.

Marie closed her eyes and fought back against the coming sobs. Tears leaked out at the corners of her eyes, and she bared her teeth as she tucked her hands close to her chest. From what he could see, she was so racked with emotion that she could not even voice her thoughts. That was when the voice spoke.

_Son of man, you are but a human... _

_You would grow old with time, and she would never age a day._

_You would spend the rest of your life with her, and leave her behind as you passed away..._

_Leaving her with truly eternal pain._

_What a cruel individual you are._

"Who are you...?!" demanded Narukami, hearing the cynical and sarcastic undertone return to that same mysterious voice. This entity liked playing games, he could tell.

_You want to know my identity?_

_First, answer my question._

_What is this world?_

"This world... is the manifestation of humanity's unconscious will," answered Narukami.

_Well, well, the son of man knows._

_You pass. Very well._

_My name is Ame-no-mi-naka-nushi, the first of the Hitorigami and Zoka Sanshin._

_In other words, I am God. The very first._

"God...?" Narukami scoffed. "You're deluded. Whoever you are... show yourself. This world is someone's reality... and that would be you."

_You are partly correct._

_But I __**am**__ this entire dimension's reality._

_I merely permitted it to take this form so that you could understand it easily._

The world around Narukami instantly dissolved and warped into darkness, and then reformed into his bedroom at the Dojima Residence.

_Is this better for you?_

The same process happened, and the resulting world was Magatsu Inaba, the corrupted vision of Inaba that Adachi bore in his heart.

_Or this?_

The area changed to show Yomotsu Hirasaka, where they had fought Izanami-no-Okami previously.

_Or perhaps this?_

It then switched back to the Takamagahara palace courtyard abruptly. Narukami could barely stand on his own, at this point. He leaned against Izanagi, which was now also down on one knee and resting against its spear.

_She does not belong to you..._

_Nor does she belong in your world._

_She belongs here, where she was first created._

"What kind of God... toys with people's feelings?" challenged Narukami. The mysterious voice laughed in irony, rather than malice.

_I have observed man for eons before __you__ were ever born._

_There are no buttons you can push, try as you might._

_I was born from the desire of man for a higher authority._

_Transformed by man's unwillingness to admit his own faults._

_The higher power that man desired and respected became a scapegoat his troubles._

_I am all that mankind is: Corruption! Vanity! Wrath!_

"That's a lie," denied Narukami, holding his head with one hand. He felt as if his head was going to burst. "The darkness is only one aspect of mankind...!" The mysterious voice laughed again, throwing his remark back at him.

_Hohohohoho, that's rich!_

_Only one aspect?_

_We shall see, son of man. We shall see._

The pain in his head overcame him, and the world faded into complete darkness and silence.

* * *

Author:

In this chapter I wanted to take a poke at Japanese creation myth. I thought it would be especially applicable since Persona 4 seems to be centred around it, and the first god Amenominakanushi has very little written about him in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, as far as I know. That gives me a lot of freedom to experiment.

Based on Mr. Edogawa's TV Program in Persona 4 Golden, I decided to interpret the TV World as the collective unconsciousness that humanity shares (or at least tied to it), which also ties in with what Izanami said about the Midnight Channel. Following that thread, I wanted to link the idea of God to humanity's desires as well: the desire for a higher power to intercede in their daily affairs, which if validated, could be something to blame for the things that go wrong as well.

But as for the characterisation of this god figure, I have only made him cynical, sarcastic, and seemingly bored. Given that he holds power over the entire Midnight Channel, I wonder what other traits I should... hmm?

Stay tuned for more. :D


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